This fall, Madison residents have an opportunity to protect their lakes. And they can start in their very own front yards.
Autumn leaf litter washes into street gutters and travels through the storm sewers that lead directly to local lakes. Once there, phosphorus from the leaves fertilizes algae and produces algae blooms that offend the eye and nose, and can be toxic. Local agencies and activists urge Madisonians to manage leaves on their lawns to keep them out of the lakes.